Enlightenment

I have really come to appreciate lately, more so than ever before, that whatever form of art I am doing, be it a little journal entry or a large scale drawing, the soothing qualities it brings to body and mind and the benefits it can have on mood and health. I can see why so many people have turned to adult colouring books for this very reason. If I find myself stressed out with all that is going on, I sit and create something and the tensions of everyday life just drift away.

So I have set myself a challenge to journal every day, even if it is only a quick 15 minute drawing, as all too often life gets in the way and sometimes it can be hard to find the time. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, it just has to be about connecting with how I am feeling at that particular time. That is something I have struggled with in the past, every project I started I wanted to be fantastic and that caused me so many frustrations, I was totally hung up on others opinions of my work and placed far too much importance on how my art would be perceived, it took away the enjoyment of the process a little bit and I wanted to get that back. Since I discovered and started playing about with mixed media I have found I am much happier when I am just experimenting and messing about with new products and new techniques. I am really embracing this new found way of creating and I love that there is no pressure on the outcome, no expectations or need for acceptance and that I feel like I am creating like a child again, full of love and excitement and wonder instead of being so precious about every stroke of brush or worried about the smallest mistake, and more importantly what people will think. I no longer worry about the blank page either I just get something down, stick something, spray something and then marvel at where my imagination took me at the end of it.

I have finally learnt the lesson that I have been teaching my children for years, that there is no right or wrong in art, art is about doing what makes you feel good.

Here are my journal pages from the last two days. I will be back with more 🙂